Trying to Cut Extra Weight? Lose Lectins, Not Carbs

One day it’s carbs, the next it’s gluten, and then it’s dairy…what’s next, avocados?

When it comes to weight loss, the diet industry rarely has nothing to point the finger to. The latest suspect?

Lectins.

Lightheartedly labelled ‘the next gluten’ in 2017, lectins are sticky plant-based proteins that seek out and bind to sugar molecules. Research has associated the proteins to weight gain, heartburn, and even heart disease.

So, where do lectins come from and what foods are they commonly found in?

The protein is abundant in many so-called ‘healthy foods’, including gluten-free breads, conventional dairy products and even some fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans. Even ‘clean eating’ essentials aren’t safe from lectins – peanuts, courgettes, peas, aubergines, peppers and potatoes are all rich in the protein.

“Lectins bind to receptors on the surface of each cell lining the gut,” Gundry told The Independent, “breaking down the tight junctions that normally make an impenetrable barrier between the intestinal contents including bacteria and ourselves.”

When the lectins pass through the intestinal barrier, they’re seen as ‘foreign’ to our immune system, leading to inflammation. Inflammation leads to fat storage within the abdomen, promoting weight gain as the immune systems fights the ‘foreign’ invasion.